Can I shoot a Burmese python in my yard? What to know about the invasive species

Yahoo

05-05-2025

If you see a Burmese python slithering across your Florida driveway, can you shoot it?
Turns out, yes. Humanely.
Burmese pythons — large, nonvenomous constrictor snakes — are native to South Asia, but since they were introduced to Florida, they have become one of the most destructive invasive species the state has ever seen. Burmese pythons reproduce in great numbers, according to the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), and eat anything from eggs to small deer.
The pythons can consume meals equivalent to 100% of their body mass and have few natural predators. A 2012 study suggested that in Everglades National Park, pythons were responsible for a decline of 85% to 100% of the population of medium-sized animals such as raccoons and rabbits. Burmese pythons also pose a threat to humans and pets.
They were added to Florida's prohibited species list in 2021.
Every August, the state encourages hunters to thin the Burmese snake population with a 10-day competition, The Florida Python Challenge, which offers prizes for the most killed and the longest python removed in different categories such as professionals, novices and the military. The big prize is $10,000 for the participant in any category who removes the most pythons.
Firearms are not permitted in the Florida Python Challenge because there is no established firearm season at the time.
That restriction doesn't apply to your own property, however, provided that firing a firearm on your property (or someone else's, with permission) doesn't violate any local regulations.
To keep the population down, Burmese pythons can be captured and humanely killed on private property or on FWC-managed lands all year round, with no bag limit, provided you follow area regulations on firearms.
Nonnative reptiles in Florida are not protected, except by anti-cruelty law.
"There is an ethical and legal obligation to ensure nonnative reptiles are killed in a humane manner," the FWC said. The agency recommends a two-step process from the American Veterinary Medical Association:
Step 1: There must be immediate loss of consciousness.
A captive bolt, firearm or air gun must be used to shoot directly to the brain.
Step 2: The brain must be destroyed.
The python must be unconscious.
A small rod, like a screwdriver, spike or pick, must be inserted into the cranial cavity and twisted to ensure the entire brain is destroyed.
"The AVMA recommends a firearm with a muzzle energy of 300 FPE for animals weighing up to 400 lbs and 1,000 FPE for animals over 400 lbs," the FWC said.
Pythons must be humanely killed onsite at the time of capture. Live transport of pythons is not allowed.
The Burmese python is one of the largest snakes in the world, the FWC said. Adults caught in Florida average between 6 and 9 feet, with the largest one measuring an amazing 18 feet long.
They are tan, with dark blotches along the back and sides that look like puzzle pieces or giraffe markings. Burmese pythons have a pyramid-shaped head with a dark, arrowhead-shaped wedge extending toward the nose.
If you spot a Burmese python, avoid it and report the sighting to the FWC. Take a photo and note your location before reporting one of three ways:
Call the exotic Species Hotline at 888-Ive-Got1 (888-483-4681)
Use the free IveGot1 mobile app
Online at IveGot1.org
This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Burmese pythons an invasive Florida threat, what to know about killing